Valve actuating means



Oct. 27, 1959 c, u smG, 5 EI'AL 2,909,936

VALVE ACTUATING MEANS Filed Oct. 15, 1957 INVENTORS CHARLES K. HUTHSIN6,SR.

IRA J. BILLINGS ATTORNEYS United States Patent i zseassc VALVE ACTUATING MEANS Charles K. Huthsing, Sr., Culver City, and Ira J. Billings,

Los Angeies, Calif., assignors to General Fire Extinguisher Corporation, a corporation of California Application October 15, 1957, Serial No. 690,240

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-102) This invention generally relates to valve actuating means, and more particularly relates to valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body. The invention has been primarily developed for application in valve bodies incorporated in head assemblies of fire' extinguishers, although it will be appreciated that the invention has utility in a great many diverse applications.

The present invention is deemed to be an improvement over a construction for actuating a valve stem as set fOIih in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 626,336, filed December 5, 1956, and entitled Fire Extinguisher Head Assembly. In the latter application, applicants disclose a means for actuating a valve stem through cooperating movement of a lever and a cam element, the cam element functioning as a second lever. It is to be noted, however, that the same cam of applicants referred to application is pivotably secured to the body of the head assembly in a position such that the effective actuating length of the main lever is decreased with respect to the pivot point thereof.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in which the hand actuated lever may be pivotably connected to the body member of a conventional fire extinguisher head assembly at a point such that substantially the entire length-of the lever extends in one direction from the pivot point thereby enabling a relatively small manual force for its actuation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve actuating means in accordance with the fore going object, which will effect a multiplication of movement so as to rapidly depress the valve stem or the plunger through an appreciable distance in response to limited pivoting action of the main lever means employed.

A still further object of the present invention is to proin a body, which may be applied with relatively minor modifications to conventional fire extinguisher head as-' semblies and more particularly to the valve bodies incorporated therein, and furthermore which is susceptible of economical production with a minimum number of parts and which will additionally perform satisfactorily in a rugged manner over a long period of life.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are generally achieved by providing a valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body, in which the valve actuating means comprises a first lever means pivotably mounted on the body. Second lever means are pivotably mounted on the first lever means, the second lever means having one arm thereof adapted to engage the body upon given angular movement of the first lever means with respect to the body. The second lever means has another arm thereof positinned to pivotably engage the valve stem in response to given angular movement of the first lever means.

In a preferable form of the invention, the one arm of the second lever means is initially disposed between the 2,909,936 Patented Get. 27, 1959 valve stem and the first lever means so as to act as a force transmitting member until the first lever means has moved through a given angular distance. With this type'of construction, the first lever means acts for a limited period of time as a force means effecting movement of the valve stem, and thereafter the second lever means functions for this purpose. As a consequence thereof, the movement of the valve stem is initially controlled according to the arcuate movement of the first lever means and thereafter according to the combined arcuate movement of the first lever means and the second lever means.

A better understanding of the present invention will be had by reference to the drawings, showing an illustrative embodiment, and in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the valve actuating means according to the present invention in the normal unactuated position;

Figure 2 is a view of the valve actuating means of Figure 1 in a partially actuated position; and,

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the valve actuating means of Figure 1' in a fully actuated position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 valve actuating means according to the present invention including a first lever means or lever 10, which is concave or U-shaped in construction. The first lever means 10 includes an upper member 10a, from which downwardly depend side walls 10b, only one of such side walls being shown in the sectional view of Figure 1. The upper member 10a has a downwardly projecting boss or detent 11.

The lever 10 is pivotably mounted as with a pin 12 or the like to the valve body 13, which is only partially shown. The manner in which the valve body 13 is incorporated in the fire extinguisher head assembly, for example, will be apparent from an examination of themeviously referred to co-pending application of applicants.

A valve stem or plunger 14 is mounted in the valve body 13 and is disposed in a bore v15 for sealed vertical movement therein. Towards this end, the 'valve stem or plunger 14 would normally be provided with an 0 ring seal 16 of conventional construction. It will be noted that the valve stem 14 has its upper end, as viewed tion, there is pivotably secured to the side wall 10b of the lever 10 a second lever means or lever 17. Towards this end, a rivet or pin member 13 serves as a means of coupling the lever 17 to the lever 10 and permitting pivotable movement vof the lever 17 with respect to the lever 10. For clarity of vdescription, the lever 17 may further be defined as having an arm 19 extending in one direction from the pin or pivot point 18 and another arm 2%) extending in the other direction from the pivot point 18. It will be noted that the arm 19 is normally interposed between the boss 11 and the valve stem 14, such that upon downward arcuate movement, of the lever 10, the arm 19 will act as a force transmitting member. The other arm' 20 is positioned invertical spaced relationship from a projection 21 of the valve body 13. The projection 21, in conventional construction would ,normally be provided with a bore 22 to receive some type of safety The-important features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by an explanation of the operation of the valve actuating means. It

3: is to be understood that the lever is normally in the position of Figure l prior to actuation of the valve or operation of the fire extinguisher, for example. In order to operate the valve actuating means the lever 10 is pressed downwardly by manual force so as to pivot and -move in an arc about the pivot point 12 of the lever 10. 'As this motion occurs, the lever 10 will first move to the position as shown in Figure 2. In achieving the position of Figure 2, the boss 11 will have exerted a force on the arm 19 of the second lever means or lever 17, to in turn transmit force to the valve stem 14 and urge it downwardly. Thus, until the lever 10 has assumed the position of Figure 2, the arm 19 of the lever 17 has acted merely as a force transmitting member interposed between the valve stem 14 and the boss 11. In the meanwhile, the other arm of the lever 17 will have moved down so as to be brought in engagement with the upper surface 23 of the valve body projection 21. It will be appreciated that once the arm 20 is in engagement with the supper surface 23 that further arcuate movement of the lever 10 will necessarily effect a pivoting action of the lever member 17 about the pivot point 18 thereof. t

In consequence, with further movement of the lever 10, the lever 17, and more particularly the pivot point 18 thereof, will follow a downward are prescribed by movement of the lever 10 about the'pivot point 12. In addition, simultaneously, the arm 19 of the lever 17 will be forced downwardly in a pivoting movement about the pivot point 18 of the lever member 17. Thus, a multiplication of movement will be effected upon the lever 17 and in turn upon the valve stem 14 so as to force the valve stem 14 downwardly through a considerably greater distance (assuming a given arcuate movement of the lever 10)' than would have been possible if only the lever 10 and projecting boss 11 had been employed. In fact, as

, soon as the arm 20 abuts against the projection, 21, the

' the lever 17is following the are prescribed by the lever 10 about pivot point 12, the arm 20 of the lever 17 will necessarily slide along the upper surface 23 of the projection 21, and more specifically the corner thereof merging into'the inner side surface 24. It will further be appreciated, that the maximum downward vertical movement of the valve stem 14 may be obtained by disposing the corner of the projection 21, as defined by the upper surface 23 and inner side surface 24, as close as possible to the pivot point 18. However, the closer the projection 21 is disposed to the pivot point 18, the greater the force required to effect movement of the arm 19 against the valve stem 14. The relative position as generally shown in the drawings has been found to be satisfactory for most purposes, considering the factors involved.

It will be further appreciated from the foregoing descriptionin conjunction with the drawings that a relanvely small manual force is required to move the lever 10 downwardly since most of the lever 10 is disposed on the actuated side of the pivot 12 therefor. Thus, the construction of the valve actuating means of the present invention enables a relatively large gripping area for'the handle aswell as the use of a rather minimum amount of force which achieves a multiplication of movement on the valve stem 14 resulting in substantial vertical movement thereof. It will further be appreciated that at the time initial motion is imparted to the valve stem, which is the time at which the greatest force is required, the valve actuating means is constructed such that the maximum lever arm or nearly the full length of the lever 10 is employed. Thereafter, when the valve stem is moving and less force is required, the resistance force of the projection 21 comes into efiect with the increased multiplication of movement.

It will be appreciated that many changes and'modifications may be made in the valve actuating means of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body, said valve actuating means comprising: a first lever means pivotably connected to said body at a first given pivot point, said first lever means including an upper member extending from said first pivot point in a a position above said stem; a second lever means pivotably connected to said first lever means at a second given pivot point; said second lever means having a first portion on one side of said second given pivot point interposed between said upper member and said stem, whereby said upper member will transmit force through said first portion to said stern upon downward movement of said upper member; and, said second lever means having a second portion on the other side of said second given pivot point positioned above said body, whereby after a given arcuate movement of said upper member said second portion will engage said body and cause said first portion to pivot about said second given pivot point in continued engagement with said stem and effect a multiplication of arcuate movement of said first portion.

2. A valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body according to claim 1, in which said first given pivot point is on one said of said valve stem and said second given pivot point is on the other side of said valve stem.

3. A valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body according to claim 1, in which said second lever means is dimensioned and positioned such that said second portion will engage said body at a point which is located closer to said second given pivot point than the point at which said first portion engages said stem.

4. A valve actuating means for depressing a valve stem in a body, said valve actuating means comprising: first lever means pivotably mounted on said body; second lever means pivotably mounted on said first lever means,

said second lever means having one arm thereof adapted to' engage said body upon given angular movement of said first lever means, said second lever means having the other arm thereof disposed between said valve stem and said first lever means to act as a force transmitting References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS -Masterman July 2, 1895 Pick Mar. 16, 1926 

